Fiber optical systems may be employed in, by way of example and not by way of limitation, data communications, communication or sensor systems with vehicle health management computers or other applications. There may be situations, equipment locations or other reasons that may make it impractical to route fiber optic channels thru existing installed wire bundles or cable members or sections in an installed system. Installed systems may be located, by way of example and not by way of limitation, in an aircraft or another vehicle.
Existing solutions for adding an optical fiber system element to an existing wire bundle may require the use of relatively large and separate optical connectors. The extra connectors may require a new bracket to be installed to which the connector may be mounted, or may require an additional clamp to secure the extra connector to an installation structure. Further, such existing solutions may not provide a simple way of utilizing existing wire bundle routings (e.g., cable members or sections) to provide continuation of a fiber optic channel through structures such as bulkheads and may not facilitate repair of fiber when original fiber may be damaged such as, by way of example and not by way of limitation, from chafing, from repair efforts or from inadvertent damage during maintenance or operation. Such existing solutions may make access to fiber optic connections more difficult to access for testing. Such existing solutions may not permit maintaining fiber optic connectivity where a wire bundle may be sliced into for effecting electrical access.
There is a need for an apparatus and method for establishing an optical path spanning a discontinuity in an optical channel that may be employed without requiring large optical connectors or additional brackets.
There is a need for an apparatus and method for establishing an optical path spanning a discontinuity in an optical channel that may be employed to provide continuation of a fiber optic channel thru structures such as bulkheads.